How to Choose a Bathroom Mirror

A First Glimpse

People are often advised they should love a piece of furniture because they’re going to have to “see it every day,” but nowhere is this truer than when standing in the bathroom, gazing blearily into the mirror. Bathroom mirrors should be beautiful if only because it’s so easy to hate them, especially in the morning.

Deeper Into the Looking Glass

A bathroom mirror is made by adding a reflective coating to glass, and its quality will be determined by the glass’s purity, thickness, flatness and the type of coating used to turn it into a mirror.

High-quality bathroom mirrors are generally made of thicker glass. Bathroom mirrors come in 1/8-, 3/16- and ¼-in. thicknesses, and the thickest glass will produce the least amount of distortion, even if the wall is not truly flat (which is often the case). That said, beautiful and reliable bathroom mirrors come in slimmer models and have the added benefit of being easier to hang.

There is no real rule as to how big or small a bathroom mirror should be. Some people like the mirror to be wide enough to align with the vanity; others prefer smaller pieces. Similarly, there are no rules as to whether a bathroom should have a vertically or horizontally oriented mirror. If the frame design does not dictate position, a mirror may be hung either way. It’s a matter of taste and what best complements the available space.

Style/Design

A rectangle – whether horizontal or vertical – is by far the most popular shape for a bathroom mirror, but it is by no means the only one. Circles, squares, ovals, arches and mirrors with beveled edges are also available. (Keep in mind, though, that most cabinet mirrors come in the vertical variety.)

Of course, the shape of the mirror is only the beginning. Mirrors can be purchased unadorned, but a lot of people like them seated in jazzy frames cast in all manner of materials. There are iron art-deco frames, modern oak frames, traditional chestnut frames … whatever will best soothe the nerves when morning hair makes its first appearance.